Tag: New Zealand

Ask any music fan about Dunedin, New Zealand, and they’ll likely mention one thing – the Dunedin Sound. In the ’80s, a new form of indie pop emerged that mixed jangle and psychedelic pop. Bands like The Chills and The Clean led the way, and they became internationally known. Flying Nun Records was one of the first labels to support […]

When a band sounds as good in real time as they do in a studio, like Fly My Pretties do, they may as well forego the whole studio experience and just release a live album. And that’s exactly what the New Zealand super-collective are doing. Tomorrow, they will release String Theory (The Complete Show), which features 18 songs from their […]

The art work for Aldous Harding‘s debut album featured the Lyttleton, New Zealand native. She is situated in a field of brush donning a Liquor Centre ball cap, and her face is solemn. The image provided insights into what Aldous Harding would be – a calm, serene collection of intimate folk music. Her sophomore album, Party, is like the flip […]

Every country has a band to call their own, where every single and album is fully embraced by the locals and every show is sold out. The fandom spans generations, as grandparents are attending gigs with their kids and grandchildren. In Canada, The Tragically Hip are that band. In Australia, The Jezabels and Cold Chisel would don the crowns. In […]

As she was about to start the fourth song of her final New Zealand date, Lydia Cole spoke of a young woman – a long-time fan from Gisborne who had planned to attend the show. A family accident, however, prevented her from coming, and Cole dedicated “Time Is A Healer” to her, singing it with the grace and power of a person […]

Nadia Reid‘s 2015 debut LP, listen to formation, look for the signs, was a beautifully complex and intricate album. The Port Chalmers, New Zealand native weaved soul-revealing stories within her folk-inspired sound. At its floor, Reid delivered a statement with the album, if not an instant classic, and it put Reid on the musical map with Pitchfork and The Guardian […]

I have been making photographs now for exactly three years, in fact, December 14th is the anniversary of my first proper photo gig – Peter Murphy from goth legends Bauhaus – now that was a wicked trip. 2016 has been a real mixed bag in terms of gigs, and definitely a tale of two cities for me. I have taken photos in small clubs, university bars and giant arenas. […]

Sister-brother duo Broods have become one of music’s fast-rising groups over the past two years – not just in New Zealand and Australia but globally. They have opened for Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding, and Lorde penned a song for them. This year, they performed to 20,000 people in Los Angeles, which included Taylor Swift in the audience. When headlining […]

To witness 500 hundred pairs of eyes completely focused on an artist for more than an hour is a sight to behold, which is exactly what Nadia Reid did on Wednesday night at Meow in Wellington, New Zealand. The entire event exhibited Reid’s musical talent and potential, and just how far she has come in a short time. The Port […]

All Anna Coddington needs to do is discover the cure for cancer and win the Nobel Peace Prize because the Auckland-based artist has practically done it all. Her résumé is remarkable. New Zealanders will recognize Coddington for her longstanding involvement with Kiwi super-collective Fly My Pretties, playing guitar and drums and singing vocals. Her solo work has also garnered national […]

This year marks ten years of Ladyhawke, the project of Pip Brown and former member of Two Lane Backdrop and Teenager, and the New Zealand native has come circle. Her self-titled, debut album introduced us to her version of hook-laden synth-pop while her sophomore album, Anxiety, had her showing an edgier, rock side while also highlighting the inner turmoil she […]

From creating samples and recording their first tracks in their bedrooms in Christchurch to exchanging files as they spread out across the globe to launching their debut album on super-boutique label Cascine, Yumi Zouma have come a long way in a short three years. Their stunning debut single, “Brae”, put the New Zealand quartet on the indie map while touring […]

Last Saturday night (or Friday night for those in North America), mysterious singer/songwriter Aldous Harding graced the stages of Wellington’s Meow as part of her New Zealand tour. Performing solo, with the occasional assistance of a keyboardist, Harding enthralled a seated full house with her unique blend of alternative folk and her haunting, powerful voice that was simply captivating. An […]

Small gig after small gig, traveling from one city or town to the next no matter what the size, sleeping in cars, tents, and apartment floors, Marlon Williams is a self-made, rising star among the country-folk scene. Through sheer will and hard work, the native of Lyttleton, New Zealand has earned every praise ushered on him, from the likes of […]

Inspiration could be found in many places. Love and heartbreak are the most common themes, as musicians fondly remember the “one” or attempt to recover from the end of a relationship. Music is also often used as a means to express oneself, whether it’s a proclamation of one’s independence or coping with depressions, anxiety, or isolation. Then there are the […]

Happy Monday, and welcome to this month’s first serving of fresh, new music singles! Maybe being worn out from last weekend’s festivities explains why we’re craving some chiller tunes. Or maybe it’s just the changing weather… whatever it is, today we’ve got several downtempo cocktails to ease you into the week. Let’s start with a trio of American artists before venturing abroad. Painted Zeros – “Only […]

“Never judge a book by its cover”, an old adage that is apt in assessing not just Metalmania, the new album by Salad Boys, but Salad Boys themselves. With a name like Salad Boys, you might think the band makes low-brow, whimsical music. A record title like Metalmania might further elicit images of Mastodon or more contemporary hardcore rock like […]

I normally don’t post music videos, but this is an exception. New Zealand singer-songwriter Anthonie Tonnon released his new album, Successor, in New Zealand this past March, and it was to be released in North America around the same time. However, its US/Canada release was delayed as two of the best little indie labels on this side of the Pacific, […]

Hannah Curwood is a native of the South Island of New Zealand, but she moved to London to help advance her career as a musician. Under the moniker Hannah in the Wars, she has released a full-length album, an EP, and several singles over the past six years. Now, she along with her bandmates Eloise Healy, Claire Wackrow, Rosemary Toll, Lachlan Radford, […]

New Zealand has been a place where we’ve looked to find some great new artists and musicians, some well-known and some on the precipice of major success – such as Nadia Reid, Tiny Ruins, Black City Lights (who sadly announced they were going their separate ways last week), Anthonie Tonnon, Andrew Keoghan, The Terminals, and The Naked and The Famous. […]